Waltz with Bashir

Two days ago I watched one of the most touching and thought-provoking political movies I have seen recently and, no, it was not the much awaited Baader-Meinhoff complex (that was very chaotic and very substandard, unfortunately). In the Persepolis tradition, Waltz with Bashir treats the problems of the Middle East through the medium of animated documentary, because the madness of it all is not easily captured by realistic movie-making. The film does not aspire to be anything more than the personal struggle of a former Israeli soldier to come to grips with the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre which he had witnessed in person. In 90 minutes the soldier-turned-filmmaker progresses from complete obliviousness to cathartic self awareness by interviewing former cosoldiers about their shared experiences in Lebanon.

It is a very personal movie and will prove difficult to swallow for those looking for a clearcut political statement. Yet it is astonishingly beautiful (watch the video above and you will understand) and it captures how hopeless people are when confronted with the reality of modern war. The motives of these soldiers (a recent break-up, masculinity problems, an obsession with slick martial arts) look so absurd that they are funny, but they are, after all, the only narratives that matter to young men who are asked to become cogs in a military machine. The contrast between reality and personal illusion makes the film good, but it is the decision to reflect this through the animation medium itself that makes it really great. At the end of the day, talking things through and hindsight self-reflection are singled out by the filmmaker as potent healing tools. Politicians could use some of his advice, I guess.